e-Arabs

January 25, 2009 — Nijma

Tired of politically slanted “news” items about the Middle East? Seems like everyone has an ax to grind, an ethnic or religious group to demonize (preliminary to….?), a book to publicize, or vitriol to barter for that coveted Western visa.

Time to escape the self-serving agendas and look at the ordinary people. Oh, sure, you can find the same old, same old politics in Jordan if you look hard enough, but most Jordanians just don’t go around with a chip on their shoulder hating one group or another.

For a more refreshing, and probably more realistic snapshot of the Middle East, try Wasapnin Jordan, written by a British ex-pat (click the page tabs for photos of Jordan and Amman), or try picking something at random off of the successors to Planet Jordan: Jordan Blogs, Quaider Planet, or Girly Gator (sometimes the Arab women like to blog away from the guys)–these are all blog aggregators with several hundred blogs on their blogrolls.

There’s nothing like a Jordanian blog to give you a slice of real Arab life. Here is just one sample from Jordan Blogs. Moey, who says he has two friends suffering from AIDS right now, has designed a public service announcement for HIV. The slogan in Arabic says “When cheating, make sure you’re protected.” (Click image for larger view). According to his profile:

The free time I have becomes more and more precious to me as the years go by. I’m a working student, I work for one of the most notable advertising agencies in the world. I also like my quiet time to balance out the social leanings of my study and leisure.

If you want some edgy cartoons with a definite pro-Palestinian slant, try Abu Mahjoob. It can sometimes be difficult, but is easily as creative as Doonesbury. Cartoons are in the archives, and the forum is always good for a couple hours. For those who are more comfortable with same-sex forums, there are also forums for only women or only men.

[Note: This post for some reason has become a magnet for Russian spam comments. Do they not notice the irony of spamming a website in a language other than the one it’s written in? I have translated them with a machine translation tool and kept the ones I like–but with the links neutered!]

English (from Google Translate): The cluster of planets in the house of extreme situations, said that the Twins will find SuperDuper way to celebrate the beginning of the year, almost two months, Venus gives them a powerful seksapil and, of course, an unforgettable adventure.

Wow, two whole months of “powerful seksapil” from Venus…could this be “sex appeal” spelled phonetically? And don’t they have a way to say that in Russian without having to borrow the phrase from English?

Via Google Translate:you’re kidding … 21 at the yard, really there is nothing worthy of attention as entsiklopediya.Milye my, that’s no snow in the stalk, is also a theme and story, review temy.Ya mail view, do not send me to understand that, I do not know who , so much debris, it can and should be, but not in dnevnike.Ya understand, this is a diary of your dushi.Nam the right to choose – use. We have the right to choose – use. And there is no useless information

I would say about monumentality, the enormity of some plots. And would call – “unfiltered real.” In my opinion, the beauty – it does more: the best, clean, Favorites, forcing the thrill and amaze. You can find beauty in everything, but all together – not a beauty. IMHO.

Via Google Translate:Electronic systems are gaining speed. Even so devaysov and innovations developed that sometimes when I watch the news hardly recruited into what is happening in modern life. Today show realnodeystvuyuschego Japanese robot, which can help the elderly, doing all the housework. He could even distinguish a dirty shirt of chitstoy.

Via Google Translate:Strange to see that people are indifferent to the problem. Perhaps this is due to the global economic crisis. Although, of course, difficult to say definitely. I have thought a few minutes before you write these few words. Who is to blame and what to do – it is our perennial problem помоему about it yet Dostoevsky said.

Via Google Translate:Nightmare. Just watched a news voloy up as the same will to live if the price of oil has fallen since. The budget laid some numbers and revenues are now seeing the other. Interesting how we have enough of the “stabilization fund” to such an approach. Sorry that I do blizenko to the topic. But it is also important, as it seems.

Your blog, of course, very useful. Sam sometimes use information that is available on these blogs. I wish to notice that these blogs are not only cognitive, but also quite popular in today’s Internet. More them. Dissemination of such information – and calling for a noble cause worthy of attention from interested persons. Now forced to leave the blog, but I’m sure that the other day did not once visit it. Thank you.

Let not comment to begin modestly with a compliment, but you’re quite pleased to go on a visit. Write to you, as I see it, not very fast, but on the other hand, it’s not too bad. IMHO it is better to write all the small stuff, or just copy the texts from someone else’s ribbons. And about the comments, then yes, you sometimes such discussions uprising that directly, even surprising. On level ground. More will come back as anything.

He saw a trend that many blogs there are not adequate kommentareev, I can not understand is that someone is spamming like that? And what to do padlu komuto))) Имхо stupid …

Inadequate comments, коля? How droll–the copious “comments” for the Russian language website “Cactus, planting and care” open up to reveal not genuine comments, but even more google ads–in Russian. Not to worry, коля, your spammy link has been neutered. Mwa-ha-ha-ha.